QR Code Generator

What you can put in a QR code

A QR code is simply text arranged in a pattern a camera can read. What the phone does after scanning depends on how that text starts. A code beginning with https:// opens a browser, a code beginning with WIFI: offers to join a network, and a code holding a contact card offers to save it. Each tab at the top of the tool builds the right format for you, so you only fill in the details.

The box under the form shows how many bytes the code holds and how many modules (squares) it has. Fewer modules mean bigger squares at the same print size, which scan faster and from further away. A plain website link usually makes a 25 x 25 or 29 x 29 code. A full contact card with an address can reach 50 x 50 or more, so leave out the fields nobody needs.

Static codes: no expiry, no tracking

Every code made here is a static code. The link, Wi-Fi details or contact card are stored inside the pattern itself, and the phone reads them directly. Nothing passes through our server or anyone else's, so the code cannot expire, has no scan limit and keeps working even if this website disappears.

Many online services sell dynamic codes instead. Those hold a short redirect address on the provider's server, which lets you change the destination later and count scans. The catch is that the code only works while you keep paying. If the subscription ends, every printed menu, banner and sticker stops working.

Wi-Fi codes for shops, cafes and homestays

A Wi-Fi code saves staff from spelling out a long password many times a day. Guests open the camera, tap the notice, and they are connected. It works with the built-in camera on current iPhones and on most Android phones.

1. Type the network name exactly as it appears in the Wi-Fi list. Capital letters, spaces and symbols matter.
2. Enter the password and choose the security type. Most routers use WPA2 or WPA3, which is the first option. Choose None only for an open network.
3. Tick Hidden network only if your router does not broadcast its name.
4. Download the code, print it on a small table card or a sticker near the counter, and test it with two different phones.

Special characters such as semicolons, commas, colons and quotes in the network name or password are escaped automatically, which is a common cause of broken Wi-Fi codes made by hand. The password is used only to draw the code and is never saved by this page.

A note on payment QR codes

The QR codes used for eSewa, Khalti, Fonepay and bank apps are not ordinary website or text codes. They follow a payment standard and contain your merchant ID and account details, and they are issued by the payment provider or your bank. Do not try to recreate one here by copying its contents or by redrawing a photo of it, because a small mistake can send money to the wrong place or fail at the checkout.

Ask your provider for the official printable code, and use this tool for everything around it: a link to your menu or price list, your Wi-Fi, your WhatsApp number for orders, or your location. If you want a styled sign, print your official payment code beside a code made here, clearly labeled so customers know which one to scan for payment.

Design rules for codes that scan every time

Styled codes scan well when a few basic rules are followed. The checks under the preview flag the most common problems as you design.

• Contrast: use a dark code on a light background, with a contrast ratio of at least 4:1. Pale gold, light gray or pastel codes on white often fail in shop lighting.
• Do not invert: light code on a dark background works with most current phone cameras, but some older scanner apps cannot read it. For print, dark on light is the safe choice.
• Quiet zone: keep a blank margin of four modules around the code. Placing a code tight against a photo, a border or text is one of the most common reasons it will not scan.
• Matching corners: the three large corner squares help phones find the code. Pair round frames with round centers and square frames with square centers. The tool marks pairs that do not suit each other.
• Gradients: keep both gradient colors dark. A gradient that fades to a light color leaves part of the code unreadable.

Logos and error correction

QR codes contain extra repair data, called error correction, so they can be read even when part of the pattern is dirty, torn or covered. Level L can rebuild about 7 percent of the code, M about 15 percent, Q about 25 percent and H about 30 percent. Higher levels add more modules, so use M for plain codes and H when a logo covers the center.

When you add a logo or icon, the tool switches to level H for you. Keep the logo at about 20 percent of the code width or less. The size slider stops at 25 percent, and a warning appears above 22 percent. Use the white square or circle behind the logo for busy or colorful logos, and leave Clear the dots behind the logo turned on so no half-covered dots confuse the scanner.

A square logo with a transparent background, saved as PNG or SVG, gives the cleanest result. The built-in icons are simple outlines for Wi-Fi, phone, email, location and similar uses, and take the color of the code.

Size and scanning distance

A useful rule is that a code can be scanned from about ten times its width. A 2 cm code works at about 20 cm, which suits visiting cards and product labels. A 10 cm code on a counter standee works from about one metre, and a code on a banner that people read from three metres away should be at least 30 cm wide.

Do not go below 2 x 2 cm for any code. Dense codes, such as long contact cards, need more space; the preview shows the smallest recommended print width for the current code.

Choosing a file format for printing

• PNG: best for websites, WhatsApp, Word documents and slides. Choose 1024 px for documents and 2048 or 4096 px if a print shop will enlarge it.
• SVG: a vector file that stays sharp at any size. Give this to a designer or print shop working in Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Inkscape or Canva. The frame text uses the named font if it is installed on their computer, and a standard sans serif font if not.
• PDF: ready to print. Choose the printed width, from 3 to 15 cm, and the code is placed at exactly that size in the center of an A4 page, or on a page the size of the code. Print at 100 percent or Actual size, not Fit to page.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Linking to a page that is not ready, or to a temporary link from a file-sharing site that may expire.
• Typing the Wi-Fi name or password with a different capital letter or an extra space.
• Printing on glossy lamination under bright lights, where glare hides part of the code. Matte finishes scan more easily.
• Cropping the quiet zone in a design program, or placing the code on a busy photo.
• Making a long contact card into a tiny code. Remove unneeded fields or print it larger.
• Forgetting the country code on WhatsApp and phone codes, so they fail for visitors from abroad.